"Ashoka's Empire": India On Row Over Mural In New Parliament

[MenInG]

The government today dismissed a brewing controversy around a mural in the newly inaugurated Parliament building that has drawn some angry reactions from Nepal's political leaders. The mural - which many BJP leaders claimed represents the resolve for an 'Akhand Bharat' - marks important kingdoms and cities of the past, including Takshashila (presently in Pakistan) and Lumbini (in Nepal).
Two formers Prime Ministers of Nepal - Baburam Bhattarai and KP Sharma Oli - who spotted Kapilvatsu and Lumbini on the mural, warned that it may cause "unnecessary and harmful diplomatic disputes".

"The mural in question depicts the spread of the Ashokan empire. It's people-centric," the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Mr Bhattarai, in a tweet, said, "It has the potential of further aggravating the trust deficit already vitiating the bilateral relations between most of the immediate neighbours of India". Mr Oli was quoted by The Kathmandu Post as stating that the installation of the 'Akhand Bharat' mural in the Indian Parliament "was not fair".

The controversy erupted amid the ongoing visit of Nepal Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal "Prachanda". He arrived in India on Wednesday afternoon on a four-day official visit. On Thursday, the Nepal PM met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi who said India will continue to strive to take the relationship with Nepal to Himalayan heights.

The Foreign Ministry said the "issue was not raised by the Nepalese side".

The mural apparently shows the empire of Ashoka, the third emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, at its peak. At its zenith, Ashoka's empire stretched from Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east. It covered almost the whole Indian subcontinent except Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and modern-day Sri Lanka.

Several BJP leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, shared the artwork inside the new Parliament House.

"The resolve is clear – Akhand Bharat," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Twitter.

"Akhand Bharat in New Parliament. It represents our powerful & self-reliant India," Manoj Kotak, Lok Sabha member from Mumbai North-East, said on Twitter.

'Akhand Bharat', described as a "cultural concept" by the RSS, refers to undivided India whose geographical expanse was very wide in ancient times - present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.

However, the RSS now maintains that the 'Akhand Bharat' concept, in the present times, should be seen in the cultural context and not political given the partition of India on religious lines at the time of Independence.

The new Parliament building was inaugurated by PM Modi last week (May 28) and said it represents the idea of "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat".

NDTV

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Thursday expressed grave concerns over the idea of Akhand Bharat (unified India) being increasingly peddled by the ruling Indian dispensation.

Speaking at her weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that a mural installed at the new parliament building in New Delhi depicts the so called ancient India including areas that now constitute parts of Pakistan and other regional countries.

“We are appalled at the statements being made by some BJP politicians including the Union Minister linking the mural with Akhand Bharat. This assertion is a manifestation of expansionist mindset that seeks to subjugate the ideology and culture not only of India’s neighbours but also its religious minorities,” she added.

The spokesperson advised the Indian politicians not to indulge in rhetoric against other countries.

She said instead of nurturing hegemonic and expansionist designs, India should resolve disputes with its neighbours for a peaceful and prosperous South Asia.

The Nation

 

[Champ_Pal]

Pakistan and Afghanistan and Bangladesh have no issues, but Nepal is crying. Looks like China is paying them well.
Its just a map of Ashoka's reign. Nepalese leaders will have to get over it.

 

[Hitman]

What nonsense! Unrealistic fantasies like Ghazwa E Hind and Akhand Bharat don't come true.

 

[Sidilicious]

What nonsense! Unrealistic fantasies like Ghazwa E Hind and Akhand Bharat don't come true.

Was just gonna say that. This guy must be the Indian Zaid Hamid.

 

[Hitman]

Was just gonna say that. This guy must be the Indian Zaid Hamid.

What I find hilariously amusing is that some people feel threatened by such nonsensical claims by some nutcases.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Pakistan and Afghanistan and Bangladesh have no issues, but Nepal is crying. Looks like China is paying them well.
Its just a map of Ashoka's reign. Nepalese leaders will have to get over it.

Pakistan has an issue with this map.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing here on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch regretted the installation of a mural at the new parliament building in New Delhi.

The mural depicts so-called ‘ancient India’, including areas that now constitute parts of Pakistan and other countries.

“We are appalled by the statements made by some BJP politicians, including a union minister, linking the mural with ‘Akhand Bharat’, she said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1757424

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

What nonsense! Unrealistic fantasies like Ghazwa E Hind and Akhand Bharat don't come true.

No mainstream party in Pakistan has ever advocated for Ghazwa-e-Hind. However you have sitting ministers in India advocating for Akhand Bharat. So thats a big difference.

Several BJP leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, shared the artwork inside the new Parliament House.

"The resolve is clear – Akhand Bharat," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Twitter.

"Akhand Bharat in New Parliament. It represents our powerful & self-reliant India," Manoj Kotak, Lok Sabha member from Mumbai North-East, said on Twitter.

 

[Hitman]

No mainstream party in Pakistan has ever advocated for Ghazwa-e-Hind. However you have sitting ministers in India advocating for Akhand Bharat. So thats a big difference.

So? How does it matter? We all know it's a fantasy, and will remain a fantasy irrespective of who ever mentions it.

 

[MenInG]

I don't understand why some Indians are so defensive about this.

Modi represents a majority of Indians, ergo what he does represents them also.

If he believes in Akhand Bharat then that's what it is.